Ch. 2171..2180

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 2171 -Things had been strange at the embassy over the past two days. Although the staff continued their work as usual, they turned away almost all visitors and postponed most scheduled activities.

The official explanation was an internal reshuffle of work for two days. However, according to a rumor, some embassy personnel had contracted a virus during the sanitation work. Some also heard the embassy had tried sweeping it under the rug to contain the commotion.

No one knew where the gossip had originated, but it had also left the other foreign embassies uneasy. After all, the pandemic in Burnwken had only just ended.

After witnessing or experiencing the pandemic, people wondered what would happen if another outbreak occurred.

It caused everyone to be on edge, with each embassy starting its own investigations. Some even demanded an explanation from the Hyderland government.

Puzzled by the rumor, the government tried to ask about it from the Yudonian embassy. However, the embassy continuously declined visitors, making the rumor more convincing and credible.

Meanwhile, the real reason for work delays was the disappearance of Duke Frederick, their top leader. It threw the embassy into disarray. Since only a few knew the queen was there, most staff members did not know what to do.

As they wondered whether to seek instructions from the queen, Fred reappeared. A trusted aide signed in relief and approached him, asking, “Your Grace, where have you been over the last two days?! We were so worried!”

However, Fred’s expression stiffened as he strode ahead. “Where’s Lily?”

“She’s still in the attic,” the aide answered after a moment’s hesitation.

“I’ll go see her. Stay on this floor, and don’t let anyone up!” He broke into a run.

Shocked, the aide hurried after him. “Yes, sir!”

Fred was out of breath as he reached the top floor. He held onto the railing and panted, trying to catch his breath. He looked upward as if he could see through the ceiling and finally went up to unlock the attic door.

The attic was not spacious but was clean and well-lit by sunlight.

When he went in, Lily was eating at a dining table. She was enjoying her afternoon tea and desserts, which smelled rather lovely. With her relaxed expression, one might think she was on vacation.

Fred grew even angrier when he saw that, asking, “Aren’t you on a hunger strike?”

Lily was not surprised to see him. She only glanced his way and said, “Didn’t you tell me to eat more and watch my health? Do you have a problem with me heeding your advice?”

She calmly spoke as she held her knife and fork.

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 2172-Lily put down her fork and knife, picked up a spoon, and cut into a cake. She ate it and closed her eyes to savor it.

“It seems I’ve been too kind to you.” Fred stormed over and swept the food onto the floor. The cup and plates shattered when they landed.

Lily gazed at him and casually licked the cream off her spoon. Meanwhile, the aide heard the noise and nearly ran upstairs to see what had happened. However, he stood rooted because Fred told him to stay downstairs no matter what.

Fred was livid when he saw how calm Lily was. He would have strangled her if he did not need her. Worse, Lily’s following words would further provoke him.

She put down her spoon and looked at him before looking at his hand that had swept off the food. She said, “Your arm has healed, huh?”

Lily intentionally reminded him who had injured his arm.

Fred’s arm had healed after using a splint for a few days, but it would still feel sore whenever he used it. Still, it was nothing compared to another thing Lily did.

“What poison did you make me swallow?” Fred asked sternly, his eyes bloodshot with anger.

Lily raised an eyebrow and smiled. “I have no idea.”

“How is that possible?!” Fred exploded.

“Hey, you didn’t believe me when I said it was poison, right? Fine, I didn’t poison you. It was just a vitamin,” Lily said, “Are you happy now?”

However, her words failed to put Fred at ease. Instead, it infuriated him further. “Bullshit! I don’t believe you. I know you poisoned me. What kind of poison is it?!”

Although Fred was scared of Lily’s fighting skills, he could not help but grab and shake her shoulders.

Lily let him shake her. She knew what must have happened based on his reaction. “You haven’t been around for two days. You must’ve gone to confirm it with someone, right?”

Although the staff served Lily her meals as usual, she knew something was off. Firstly, Fred had not appeared for two days. Secondly, the people who brought her food and cleaned the attic seemed uneasy.

Therefore, it was not hard for Lily to guess what Fred was doing in his absence.

“Yes, someone confirmed that you poisoned me! What the hell is it? How could you possibly create a poison?” Fred still found it hard to believe.

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 2173-Fred could not figure out when Lily made the poison. After all, he had kept her under tight watch, using many surveillance cameras and listening devices.

“Does it matter how I made it?” Lily smiled. “Maybe I know magic?”

Fred was speechless. He saw her smile and released her, no longer as fierce as before. He groaned and slowly crouched in pain, one hand palming his stomach.

Lily was not surprised to see that. She turned slightly and looked down at him. “Do you feel discomfort?”

Fred did not answer.

“Do you feel a burning sensation in your chest every noon? You’re hungry, but you don’t feel like eating, huh? Do you have severe diarrhea while your stomach hurts like hell?” Lily resembled a concerned doctor trying to diagnose him.

Fred bit his lower lip, not answering. However, he knew she had perfectly described all his symptoms. Besides confirming Lily had poisoned him, he had been away due to illness.

He did not take it seriously when he felt nauseous and threw up on the first day. He also thought he had diarrhea that night due to food poisoning.

However, Fred was weak and physically uncomfortable on the second day. That led him to believe it had something to do with the thing Lily made him swallow.

Fred did not trust the doctors in the embassy and returned to Yudonia to get a trusted physician to give him a complete examination. The results showed he was ill, but the cause remained unknown.

The phrase “cause unknown” alarmed him. He knew what it meant after being involved in research for a long time. The doctor could not determine the cause due to the limitations of technology.

Since it was also challenging to determine the cause of the disease brought upon by their viruses, Fred suspected he was ill because of what Lily had fed him. If she said it was poison, it would likely be so.

Therefore, he hurried back to the embassy and went to the attic to demand an answer.

Fred was furious when Lily behaved as if everything had happened as expected. However, he felt so uncomfortable now that he could not do anything to her.

“Give me the antidote!” he said through clenched teeth.

Lily chuckled and slowly got up to move the chair aside. She approached Fred and towered over him, saying, “Sure, I can do that.”

Fred looked up and saw her smiling at him. She continued, “You know what I want. As soon as you agree to my terms, I’ll help you with the poison.”

Her words angered him.

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 2174-“I’ll never let you go!” Fred roared.

Lily clapped and walked aside to pour herself a glass of water while giving him a thumbs-up. “Bravo! So be it then, tough guy. I don’t care anyway. No one can save me besides myself.

“Of course, I’m no match for you guys, and it would be best if you could set me free. If you won’t, we’ll just die together, right?” She gulped the water, acting like she no longer cared.

“What about your children? Don’t you care about them?” Feeling slightly better, Fred held onto the table and staggered up.

“So what if I do? Will you let them go?” Lily said as she shrugged helplessly.

“I will!”

Lily was so surprised that she spilled her water.

Fred knew she still cared most about her children based on her reaction. After taking a deep breath, he struggled to stand, saying, “I’ll never let you go. You know how much resources we’ve invested in R10. Besides, you’re irreplaceable.”

Lily remained quiet. She knew being irreplaceable was why she remained unharmed even after threatening Fred. After some thought, Lily asked, “You’re saying you will release my children if I cure you? Both of them?”

“Yes!” Fred nodded with a firm gaze and added, “As long as you cure me, I promise to deliver them to your husband safely.”

His words and firm gaze tempted Lily because she knew they would never release her. However, if Fred readily agreed to free her, she would doubt his words.

Nonetheless, Lily suspected he might be willing to set her children free. After all, they were just babies and were useless to the organization. To put it bluntly, they were not even suitable as experimental subjects.

Therefore, Fred would use them as a bargaining chip instead of killing them.

After some pondering, Lily did not immediately accept his offer. “That sounds tempting, but I think you’re being unfair. After all, Your life is valuable, Your Grace. Even Her Majesty has to listen to you now.

“On the other hand, my children are just ordinary citizens of Hyderland. You’re getting the better end of the deal if we trade your life for theirs, don’t you think?”

Although it sounded like Lily was flattering him, her message was clear—he had to give more.

Fred asked through gritted teeth, “What else do you want? You know I can’t let you go!”

Lily nodded. “I know, but I hope you can free one more kid besides my babies.”

“Huh?” Fred looked at her in confusion. “One more…kid?”

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 2175 -“I’m talking about Nick Corden,” Lily said.

Puzzled, Fred frowned. “Nick Corden?”

“Mike Corden’s son. You guys kidnapped the boy to force Mike into doing your bidding. Don’t tell me you don’t know about it,” Lily said bluntly.

“Oh, that boy!” Looking as if he had just remembered who Nick was, he asked curiously, “Why do you care about someone else’s son? Or is he also yours?”

Lily knew what he was implying by his annoying look and tone. She did not bother to argue with him. Instead, she said, “My babies and Nick are nothing compared to a duke like you. It’s an excellent deal, right?”

Fred rested his chin in his hand and smiled. “I guess you’re right.”

“So, is that a yes?” Lily asked.

“No!” Fred said decisively.

Lily stunned. She thought he would agree after hesitating for a moment. After all, Mike was useless to him now, and it was pointless to hold Nick hostage.

‘Wouldn’t giving up Nick to save his own life be a good deal?’

Lily stressed, “Think twice. It’s your life we’re talking about. Nick is useless to you, and so is Mike. You’ll be doing everyone a favor.”

“Anything but that boy.”

To Lily’s surprise, Fred refused to budge.

“Then…” Lily thought momentarily and said, “I can’t give you the antidote. Sorry to say you’re running out of time.”

She thought Fred would yield if she said that, but he was unusually adamant. He grabbed the desk to pull himself up, saying, “So be it! I’ll see you and your twins in hell then.”

Lily knew he was still in pain. Even so, he refused to back down.

Fred straightened up and threatened her, “Think carefully, Lily. It’s your best chance to save your babies. You better seize it now because I might not make it tomorrow, or I might change my mind about it.”

Lily was at a loss for words.

‘He’s harder to deal with than I imagined.’

She noticed him walking away and exclaimed, despite herself, “Wait!”

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 2176-Fred stopped and turned around to look at Lily expectantly. Lily saw his adamant expression and thought before asking, “Why?”

Fred was puzzled.

“Can you tell me why? Nick is useless to you. Why do you have to—"

Before she could finish, Fred interrupted, “I have another use for him, so I’ll never set him free!”

He probably did not want to waste his time and knew she could never escape. He added, “You and that kid can’t be part of your terms. Besides that, feel free to name anything else.”

Fred sighed and palmed his chest in pain. His pain was real, so he would never make a deal with her if he had not felt something within him.

Lily frowned, intrigued by what he said, but decided to put it aside. Considering his attitude, she could not save Nick. She knew she could not rescue her children if she missed this opportunity.

“Okay! I’ll make a deal with you,” Lily said after taking two steps forward.

“On what terms?” Fred asked, raising his brow.

“Just release my children. You can do that, right?” After a pause, Lily added, “I want them delivered safely to their dad by daybreak tomorrow. Also, I want to watch the whole thing live on video. There will be no recording and editing because I can easily tell.

“Once they’re safely delivered, I’ll give you the antidote.”

Fred shook his head. “No, give it to me first! What if you go back on your word?”

Lily smiled. “No, I can ask you the same thing. Free my children first.”

“If we don’t trust each other, we might as well call off the deal!” Fred was upset. Nobody had dared to talk terms with him this way. However, Lily kept pushing it by trying to negotiate with him.

“This is not a game, okay? I don’t give a shit because I’m going to die anyway. However…” After a pause, she said, “The grand project you’ve been working on for so long is bound to fizzle out halfway.”

Her gloating tone infuriated Fred. “You—"

“You might think I’m pushing it, but don’t forget you have the upper hand. That’s why I have to make demands. If you deliver my children to their dad, I’ll have something to live for. Then, I’ll do anything to survive.

“Also, if I go back on my word, you could kill me immediately. But if you break your promise, there’s nothing I can do. So I do have my concerns while you have nothing to lose.”

Lily sighed and gazed at Fred’s stomach. “It’s just diarrhea now, but it’ll worsen. Your intestines will rot, you know?”

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 2177 -Lily’s words terrified Fred, causing him to palm his stomach. “You’re just trying to scare me!”

“You’ll soon find out whether or not I’m telling the truth,” Lily smiled and returned to sit back down while looking at him, “So? Do you want to make the deal? I’m tired and need my rest.”

Fred glared at her, wondering if he should trust his words. Still, he could not tell if she was telling the truth. He initially thought she was bluffing about the poison, but the physician he visited proved him wrong.

Fred did not know how much he could trust her this time. He slowly clutched his stomach when the pain returned. Although he looked calm, sweat dripped from his forehead.

‘Should I take the risk?”

After a momentary hesitation, he said, “Fine, I’ll give your children to your husband and show you the live feed. However, you must immediately give me the antidote afterward!”

Lily nodded. “Deal!”

…

Alexander was at a loss when he suddenly received an anonymous letter. The letter told him to wait under the sixth maple tree on Maplewood Street after dark tonight. He read on and saw that someone was supposed to pass him his “kids.”

‘Kids?’

Thinking the sender had meant to write “kid,” Alexander was alarmed. He suspected someone had kidnapped Galen, so he made a call. He was relieved to find out Galen was playing with Dominic.

Still, he could not figure out whom the letter was referring to.

Mike asked, “Kids? Is the letter referring to your twins?”

Alexander caught on but felt it was unlikely. “Lily and the twins are with them. Why would they do that? Did Lily write this letter?”

He thought about it and felt it did not seem possible.

‘If it is her, she could have just brought them home. Why would she make such an arrangement?’

“Perhaps someone rescued them and wants to deliver them to you?” Mike took another guess.

“We know where they are. Since we failed to find them twice, it’s unlikely anyone else could rescue the twins.” Alexander shook his head.

“Well, why don’t we go tonight to find out?” Austin thought this was the simplest solution.

“Not so fast!” Alexander raised a hand and said, “It’ll be great if they bring the twins over. Hell, I don’t even care if it’s a prank. However, what if it’s a trap?”

The others fell silent.

‘That’s right! What if it’s a trap?’

“I have a way,” Cameron, who had remained quiet, said, “I can arrange for a stakeout operation. If anyone shows up, we’ll just make an arrest. That way, we can also find out what’s going on.”

‘Well, who knows, we might get lucky and achieve a breakthrough?’

Alexander nodded, thinking the plan was viable.

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 2178-The sky gradually darkened as the trio anxiously awaited the night. Alexander followed the letter’s instructions and arrived at Maplewood Street, waiting under the assigned tree.

Meanwhile, Cameron’s men had long stationed themselves at several spots around the tree. If anyone approached Alexander, they could readily apprehend the person. With everything in place, Alexander stood there, trying to look calm despite himself.

Alexander had never felt so nervous, even when he first obtained La Beaute Group. Just thinking about seeing his twins for the first time made his heart race. He felt even more uneasy, not knowing whether this was a prank or a trap.

He also wondered how Lily and the children were doing.

The doctor returned to the embassy to gather information for him, but he never heard back from the doctor since. Alexander suspected Fred might have discovered him. After all, Alexander had sent the doctor’s wife and children to safety.

It was doubtful Fred would not notice. Unfortunately, there was nothing Alexander could do about that for now.

As time ticked away, he grew anxious. Unable to show his anxiety, he looked down to tap at his phone, acting like he was just passing the time while standing there.

Maplewood Street was a busy place. As many pedestrians passed, the surveillance team soon grew tired of spying on them. Whoever chose this location seemed wise. Even if someone else showed up, they had to be careful not to injure the bystanders.

The street also got busier at night due to the nightclubs and pubs.

Just as everyone thought this could be a prank, a motorcycle pulled over in front of Alexander. Judging by the attire, the rider seemed to be a food deliveryman. The others immediately became alert.

“Are you Mr. Russell?” the man spoke with a thick accent.

With his heart pounding, Alexander sized up the man and said, “Yes, I am.”

The man asked again, “Are the last four digits of your phone number 7890?”

“Yes.” Alexander nodded. “What’s wrong?”

“Here’s your delivery.” The man took the delivery bag from the motorcycle and shoved it into his hands.

Alexander was baffled.

“Please leave a good review, sir!” He got back on the motorcycle and was about to ride away. At that moment, people rushed over and pulled the delivery man off the motorcycle. They pinned him to the ground and handcuffed him.

These people executed their moves seamlessly. It was like they had choreographed it for years.

The man hollered, “What the hell are you doing?! Help!”

As the people restrained and searched him for weapons, the man struggled in vain, yelling, “What the hell do you want?!”

The commotion attracted a group of bystanders. Since the group had prepared for this, one flashed his badge, saying, “We’re the police. Please stay back.”

Although the bystanders were curious, they obeyed the officer. Mike and Austin rushed over at that moment, exclaiming, “Open it!”

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 2179 -The delivery felt heavy in Alexander’s hands. He held his breath and carefully opened its lid. Lying inside were two infants wrapped in blankets. They seemed sound asleep with their eyes closed.

Alexander sighed in relief when he saw them but soon grew anxious again. He put a finger under their noses to see if they were breathing and was relieved, exclaiming, “It’s them!”

“Oh, my God!” Mike nearly burst into sobs. Tears welling in his eyes, he looked even more emotional than Alexander. He was thrilled for Alexander. After all, the organization had also kidnapped Nick.

Mike felt like he saw Nick again.

‘If Alex’s twins can return safely, so can Nicky!’

Alexander nodded. “Let’s go back first.”

The delivery bag was larger than the regular one. No wonder it caught Alexander’s attention initially. Still, the delivery man dared to bring the twins out in the open. Furthermore, he did not look like he could fight.

Back at home, Alexander grew worried seeing the twins still asleep. Soon after, Austin examined them and concluded that someone had fed them with a small dose of sleeping medication.

Alexander was relieved yet angry.

‘What kind of sick men would feed infants sleeping meds?!’

“I have three questions now.” After calming down, he began to assess the situation, “Firstly, who sent that man? Secondly, was it the organization? Finally, are these children mine?”

Mike and Austin were shocked.

“Indeed, my wife birthed a boy and a girl. Considering their age, they seem likely to be mine. However, they could have sent me someone else’s children around the same age. We can’t jump to any conclusions without concrete proof.”

Austin nodded. “You’re right. Let’s take the babies’ hair or fingernail clippings for a DNA test. We’ll know the results soon enough.”

Alexander responded, “Yes, we have to make sure. Nonetheless, we must take good care of them, even if they aren’t mine.”

Mike thoughtfully added, “As for the delivery man, I don’t think he’s part of the organization.”

“I agree,” Alexander said.

Although he delivered the babies, the man was too easily caught and seemed clueless. The organization could not have survived until now if its members were so incompetent.

“I bet someone must’ve hired him to do this, and he doesn’t know anything,” Austin spoke thoughtfully, holding a cup of tea.

Soon after, news came from Cameron’s end. The outcome of the interrogation showed they were right—the delivery man was just a food deliverer who had accepted an order.

The sender’s name, address, and even phone number were fake, so they could not gain any helpful information. Still, it proved their speculation was correct.

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 2180 -“Who are they if they’re not mine? Also, where did they come from, and why did the organization send them to me? If they are mine…” Alexander looked at Mike and Austin. “What’s the organization up to?”

Mike responded, “Do you think the organization plans to use the babies to blackmail you?”

“Could it be…” Austin stopped halfway.

“Yes?” Alexander raised his brows curiously.

Austin shook his head. “Nothing. I was just taking a wild guess.”

Alexander dropped the subject but noticed Austin’s grave expression. Alexander said, “Whatever it is, we must take good care of the children now.”

He knew the other two must be tired, saying, “You two should get some rest. Leave the babies to me.”

Mike disagreed, “No, you need to handle many more things. Let me watch over them.”

“Why don’t you two go to sleep? I’m a doctor. Let me do it,” Austin said.

“Cut it out, okay? They’re likely my children, so I should take care of them,” Alexander sighed, “I owe it to them.”

Austin and Mike exchanged a look and shut up.

Later that night, Alexander sat beside the twins. The nearby table had items he had urgently bought, such as baby formula and diapers.

When Galen was still a baby, he had hired a nanny to care for him. Alexander never had to worry about feeding or changing diapers. Although he could still get a maid to care for the twins now, he wanted to do it alone.

If they were his children, he owed them that. Even if they were not, they had only ended up there because of him. For now, Alexander could only hope Lily and the twins were safe.

…

Meanwhile, Lily sat in the attic as the phone screen gradually dimmed. Her eyes flickered, and she had a complex mix of emotions. She seemed relieved yet sad. All Lily did was stare at the screen longingly, wanting to reunite with her family as soon as possible.

“All right, I’ve fulfilled my promise. It’s your turn now, “Fred smiled smugly. He was pleased that everything had happened as he had expected.

He knew people were waiting to arrest him, but he was smart enough not to show himself or send his men. Therefore, he arranged for a delivery man to do the job. If the circumstances allowed, he wanted to laugh in their face.

Although Fred could not do it now, he knew he would have plenty of opportunities to do that when the experiment succeeded. Now, he looked expectantly at Lily.